Daniel Kawczynski

The Feed-in Tariff (FITs) scheme pays consumers for small-scale generation of their own electricity through renewable sources, such as solar panels. Major energy companies, like British Gas, as well as some smaller independent suppliers, process applications and make Feed-in Tariff payments, in their role as FIT Licensees, for sub 50kW solar PV and wind installations.

However, final confirmation of an installation’s eligibility for FITs is carried out by Ofgem, not by British Gas, before it is entered on the Central FITs Register (CFR). Solar PV products and installers are certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).

Additionally, the Renewable Energy Consumer Code and Home Insulation and Energy Systems Contractors Scheme, approved under the Chartered Trading Standards Institute consumer code approval scheme, provide protection for consumers participating in Government incentive schemes, such as Feed-in Tariffs.

The Feed-in Tariff (FITs) scheme pays consumers for small-scale generation of their own electricity through renewable sources, such as solar panels. Major energy companies, like British Gas, as well as some smaller independent suppliers, process applications and make Feed-in Tariff payments, in their role as FIT Licensees, for sub 50kW solar PV and wind installations.

However, final confirmation of an installation’s eligibility for FITs is carried out by Ofgem, not by British Gas, before it is entered on the Central FITs Register (CFR). Solar PV products and installers are certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).

Additionally, the Renewable Energy Consumer Code and Home Insulation and Energy Systems Contractors Scheme, approved under the Chartered Trading Standards Institute consumer code approval scheme, provide protection for consumers participating in Government incentive schemes, such as Feed-in Tariffs.

It is difficult to assess the impact of sanctions because of the problem in isolating their impact from other factors affecting Russia’s economy.

Our on-going dialogue with UK industry suggests that it understands the purpose of the sanctions and is appreciative of the Government’s support. Their main concerns are that sanctions should be as unambiguous as possible, are applied consistently across the EU, that action is taken to stop back-filling (Russia replacing EU trade with trade from third countries) and that licence applications are processed promptly.

We help to provide small businesses with access to the finance they need, expert business advice and export support. British Business Bank programmes are supporting £1.8bn of finance to over 40,000 smaller businesses, with a further £1.4bn of finance to mid-cap businesses.

The Business Growth Service provides support to firms with growth potential. Growth Hubs join up local resources to provide local support. And 48,000 businesses have been helped to export through our UK Trade and Investment support – of those, 90% were small businesses.

Installation of domestic solar PV is supported through the Feed-In-Tariff scheme which provides greater incentive to more efficiently deployed panels as the amount of income received depends on the amount of electricity generated. Advice on generation based on orientation, pitch, etc. is given in the Microgeneration Certification Scheme Guide to the Installation of Photovoltaic Systems:

http://www.microgenerationcertification.org/images/PV%20Book%20ELECTRONIC.pdf.

So far, £7bn has been awarded to Local Enterprise Partnerships through Growth Deals. £83m has been awarded to the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership which includes £11.6m for projects in Shropshire, including £5m for super-fast broadband, £4.2m for the construction of the Oxon Link Road near Shrewsbury, and £2.4m for the Shrewsbury Integrated Transport Package which will upgrade six major junctions to ease congestion in and around the town.

In the recent Marches Growth Deal Expansion the Government also committed to support the development of a new university college at Shrewsbury, an initiative being supported by a £17m loan from the Public Works Loan Board.

The Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) is a valuable programme that helps viable businesses get access to finance where they have insufficient security or an inadequate track record. Since launch, EFG has supported SMEs by enabling over 23,000 loans with a total value of some £2.4bn (as at 31 December 2014) and has a significant wider economic benefit. Funding for up to a further £500 million of lending was made available for 2015/16 in the 2014 Autumn Statement.

Following evidence of concerns of lending by the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in August 2014, the Department asked RBS to instigate an internal review into this issue. The findings of that review and a proposed course of action were presented at a meeting with the British Business Bank in December 2014, and senior executives from RBS met my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on 14 January 2015. I have asked the British Business Bank – which now administers the programme on behalf of the Department – to continue to closely monitor the action being taken by RBS to address these issues. I have been given assurance from RBS that they will put right any cases where they are at fault to ensure that no detriment is suffered by either the borrower or the taxpayer.

Ministershave discussed projects that Local Enterprise Partnerships have submitted for the £1 billion expansion of Growth Deals announced at Autumn Statement, including the proposal for the Marches LEP for the University Centre Shrewsbury.

I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet with my hon. Friend and the Leader of Shropshire Council, when I visited Harper Adams University, Shropshire, earlier this month.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England published data on their website in October last year which explores the link between economic growth and higher education provision. This includes information on employment levels, higher education qualifications and graduate mobility. Universities UK have also produced a series of reports which examine the higher education sector’s contribution to the UK economy (“The impact of universities on the UK economy), with the most recent publication in 2014.

I understand that the University of Chester is working with local partners and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) with the aim of opening a campus in Shrewsbury which in time, may develop into a higher education institution in its own right.

I will be happy to have a discussion with my Hon. Friend and the Leader of Shropshire Council about the plans to establish a new university in Shrewsbury.

I understand that the University of Chester is working with local partners and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) with the aim of opening a campus in Shrewsbury which in time, may develop into a higher education institution in its own right.

I will be happy to have a discussion with my Hon. Friend and the Leader of Shropshire Council about the plans to establish a new university in Shrewsbury.

I understand that the University of Chester is working with local partners and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) with the aim of opening a campus in Shrewsbury which in time, may develop into a higher education institution in its own right.

I will be happy to have a discussion with my Hon. Friend and the Leader of Shropshire Council about the plans to establish a new university in Shrewsbury.

There are many different contractual arrangements buyers and sellers of property can enter to help manage risks and uncertainty in the process. They all entail different levels of risk, costs and benefits to both parties. The Government supports free, independent advice and guidance for consumers, through its funding of Citizen's Advice, across a wide range of issues. However, ultimately matters such as conveyancing contracts should be discussed with a buyer or seller's solicitor who can advise on the best approach an individual could take, should they wish to do so, according to their circumstances.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.

The Government has been working closely with stakeholders in the wedding industry, the Places of Worship Taskforce, and the National Panel for Registration to enable small marriages and civil partnerships to begin safely from 4 July 2020. Guidance can be found at the link below, which remains under review and may be updated in line with the changing situation:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships

Large gatherings, for example of one hundred or more people, present greater risks of transmission.The Government continues to work with relevant stakeholders to consider how to enable receptions and larger marriage and civil partnership ceremonies to take place safely.

Details of my Official meetings are in the public domain and can be found on the gov.uk website.

The EU referendum will be overseen by the Chief Counting Officer, chair of the Electoral Commission, who is responsible for making sure the referendum is held in accordance with the legislation governing the conduct of the poll. The Electoral Commission has issued a statement setting out the actions that have been taken to address an issue with elections software used by a number of local authorities in England and Wales that meant that some non-eligible EU citizens had mistakenly received poll cards and, in some instances, postal votes. The Commission explains that the software provider has resolved the issue and none of the affected electors will be shown as eligible on the electoral registers to be used at polling stations on the 23 June. Any incorrectly issued postal votes will be cancelled.

The EU referendum will be overseen by the Chief Counting Officer, chair of the Electoral Commission, who is responsible for making sure the referendum is held in accordance with the legislation governing the conduct of the poll. The Electoral Commission has issued a statement setting out the actions that have been taken to address an issue with elections software used by a number of local authorities in England and Wales that meant that some non-eligible EU citizens had mistakenly received poll cards and, in some instances, postal votes. The Commission explains that the software provider has resolved the issue and none of the affected electors will be shown as eligible on the electoral registers to be used at polling stations on the 23 June. Any incorrectly issued postal votes will be cancelled.

The EU referendum will be overseen by the Chief Counting Officer, chair of the Electoral Commission, who is responsible for making sure the referendum is held in accordance with the legislation governing the conduct of the poll. The Electoral Commission has issued a statement setting out the actions that have been taken to address an issue with elections software used by a number of local authorities in England and Wales that meant that some non-eligible EU citizens had mistakenly received poll cards and, in some instances, postal votes. The Commission explains that the software provider has resolved the issue and none of the affected electors will be shown as eligible on the electoral registers to be used at polling stations on the 23 June. Any incorrectly issued postal votes will be cancelled.

The EU referendum will be overseen by the Chief Counting Officer, chair of the Electoral Commission, who is responsible for making sure the referendum is held in accordance with the legislation governing the conduct of the poll. The Electoral Commission has issued a statement setting out the actions that have been taken to address an issue with elections software used by a number of local authorities in England and Wales that meant that some non-eligible EU citizens had mistakenly received poll cards and, in some instances, postal votes. The Commission explains that the software provider has resolved the issue and none of the affected electors will be shown as eligible on the electoral registers to be used at polling stations on the 23 June. Any incorrectly issued postal votes will be cancelled.

The findings of the review will be published once they have been considered by the Government.

The Business Recovery Grant (BRG), part of the Flooding Framework, provides £2500 per affected business premises to small and medium sized businesses in the immediate aftermath of flooding to help them get back on their feet.

This support was provided in October 2023 in response to Storm Babet and those affected by Storm Henk interested in the BRG should contact their Local Authority for details and qualification requirements.

Businesses significantly affected by recent flooding could also be eligible for business rates relief via schemes delivered by DLUHC and via DEFRA schemes.

The Government has set up a statutory inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal. Collective and individual accountability for the scandal can only be considered when the Inquiry has reviewed all the evidence.

The UK-Morocco Association Agreement requires both parties to undertake a review of all agriculture and fisheries tariffs within three years of its entry into force in 2021. This review was launched on 16 November 2023. Following conclusion of the review, the parties will examine granting further liberalisation on agriculture products on a regular basis.

The UK works closely with Morocco to maximise cooperation in several areas, including in trade and investment. The UK-Morocco Association Agreement facilitates this trading relationship, which has grown significantly since entry into force in January 2021.

The Department of Business and Trade frequently engages its Moroccan counterparts to promote and support green investment into Morocco. The UK and Morocco are co-leads on the Power Breakthrough, which aims to make clean power the most affordable and reliable option for all countries by 2030. With regard to Western Sahara, I refer my hon. Friend to my response to Question 1500.

HM Government does not provide legal advice to private companies and individuals in relation to their commercial activities. It is therefore for companies to take their own decisions on whether to do business in Western Sahara, as elsewhere.

There are no plans to make an assessment.

My department does not issue guidance to employee relocation businesses on the Association of Relocation Professionals' Code of Conduct as a professional standard.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 23 March 2023, UIN 167068.

My department has a team which covers the Caribbean and is in regular contact with governments and businesses, actively seeking export and investment opportunities for British firms. We are working with a number of UK companies on infrastructure projects in the region and would be delighted to discuss these opportunities with any UK exporters the Member is aware of. Please contact DITLATAC@fcdo.gov.uk.

Furthermore, Department for Business and Trade trade advisers in the region can provide dedicated, well-informed guidance on viable long-term commercial prospects across the Caribbean, including St Kitts and Nevis.

The UK has a trade agreement with 14 Caribbean States, including St Kitts and Nevis. The UK-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement provides detailed information on St Kitts and Nevis’ preferential access to UK markets, including duty-free access on goods.

To assist access to UK markets, Gov.uk also provides a range of tools and resources for exporters. A key resource is the tariff-look up tool that can be used to search commodity codes, duties and VAT rates on exports to the UK. There is also guidance on finding trade partners, such as importers and retailers, to assist with trade in the UK.